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Recapping: Aimee Olexy's Talula's Table Pop-Up at Washington Square
If you were the person who called Talula's Table at 7 a.m. on July 1, 2009, and scored a year-in-advance reservation, congratulations. Unfortunately for that person - but fortunate for the rest of us - that exclusive 12-seat table expanded to accommodate closer to 150 thanks to the first installment of Stephen Starr's pop-up series at Washington Square, featuring a three-nights-only concept curated by the Kennett Square restaurant's Aimee Olexy. The dormant space was transformed to resemble a farmhouse from the faraway land of Chester Country Tuesday through Thursday of this week, with strawberry plant centerpieces, rustic wood accents and artwork selected by Eileen Tognini. Brian Freedman put together a beverage program, Talula's chef Matthew Moon handled the menu and Olexy herself wore the cool title of Maítre Fromager. The staff, culled from all across the Starrosphere, was well-versed in the hyper-seasonal, greatest-hits rendition of Talula's menu. Menu highlights included the Kennett mushroom soup with a ridiculous bone marrow fritter that was simultaneously liquidus and crispy; Magret duck breast with bing cherry salad and a duck confit tater tot; and Parmesan risotto with juicy beef cheeks and caponata. There were several options for the cheese course, including a spread of American blues; we opted for the "Cheese 301 (with a test)," a selection of seven cheeses ranging from hard to soft and mild to stinky. Olexy personally brought out the selection, which was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek exam featuring questions like "if you were stuck on a desert island, which cheese would you bring?" Desserts were refined, homey renditions of classics - Scottish salted caramel shortbread bars, Böterkoek with stone fruit and ice cream, and Talula's "teeny" cupcakes. The food was fantastic, but it should also be noted that the people involved in the event made it special. Olexy can really work a room and Freedman's so enthusiastic that he could get you excited about drinking A-Treat Big Blue Soda. Transferring the exclusivity and intimacy and feel of Talula's sought-after 12-seat table into a larger setting sounded like a near-impossible task, but this group pulled it off. That we made our reservations just two weeks back, as opposed to 52, made it that much sweeter. Tweets that mention Recapping: Aimee Olexy's Talula's Table Pop-Up at Washington Square :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com Posted 2010-07-02 18:47:10
Recapping: Aimee Olexy's Talula's Table Pop-Up at Washington Square
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dana Mania!. Dana Mania! said: RT @mealticket: Recap of Aimee Olexy's @StarrRestaurant Talula's Table pop-up at Washington Square: http://bit.ly/9Il96s [...]
[...] Photo by Anthony Sica | Meal Ticket [...]
How do you make a reservation for future pop-up events?
Sign Up for the Starr Restaurant newsletter and they will let you know when the future Pop Ups will be. Then, call as fast as possible. http://www.starr-restaurant.com/
Emily, I'm hearing July 14 for when they'll begin taking reservations for the next pop-up dinners, but not confirmed yet. I'll do a post when it is solid.
[...] at Washington Square, the first installment of which featured Aimee Olexy of Talula’s Table (check out Anthony Sica’s recap). Pitsillides says he plans on cooking a Levantine-influenced menu for the three-day event, [...]
Was it BYOB or did they have a bar service?
There was a wine list, four cocktails, and three bottled beers available.
[...] Twitter, is the third and final* chef to sign on for Stephen Starr-organized pop-up dinner, joining Aimee Olexy and Konstantinos Pitsillides. Scheduled for Tue., Sept. 28 and Wed., Sept. 29 from 6 to 9 p.m., the [...]
[...] Unlike the recent Talula’s Table pop-up, which saw duchesse de fromage Aimee Olexy floating about the restaurant hob-nobbing with diners, Pitsillides stayed in the kitchen to oversee his team of SRO chefs, who cranked out plates at a quick pace for the no-frills, when-it-comes-it-comes dinner service. That really worked with this style of food, which was so hearty and shareable that it didn’t really matter that entrées came before or after or during apps. What we had, in order (here’s the full menu): [...]
[...] Photo by Anthony Sica | City Paper [...]
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